jsmithso@aut.UUCP (Jim Smithson) (05/09/90)
Here is a weird problem. I am running ASPEN KSH on an NCR Tower 32/650 under UNIX Sys V rel. 02.01.01. After installing ASPEN KSH I noticed that my `at` jobs no longer worked. I have tracked the problem down to the following bogus line in the job file which resides in direcctory /usr/spool/cron/atjobs. export A__z; A__z="! MAIL="*TMOUT=! HOME=" Note that most of the strings match the variables which should be "readonly". The problem with this line is the 3 double quotes. When /bin/sh subsequently executes the job file it has an unmatched ". I have no idea where this variable A__z came from and even weirder is that I cannot unset it with `unset A__z`. STILL stranger is I can define another A__z variable and not affect the original one. (see following) < just after login > INPUT> env | grep A__z A__z=! MAIL="*TMOUT=! HOME= INPUT> set |grep A__z <- Note: no output INPUT> A__z="Why Me?";export A__z INPUT> env | grep A__z A__z=! MAIL="*TMOUT=! HOME= <-------- INPUT> set |grep A__z |- Why the difference? A__z=Why Me? <-------- INPUT> unset A__z INPUT> env | grep A__z A__z=! MAIL="*TMOUT=! HOME= INPUT> set |grep A__z Obviously `set`(ksh builtin) and `/bin/env` don't agree on the value of shell variable A__z. Is A__z a "shell variable"? How can I get rid of this trash variable? How did it get in my environment? Any help would be appreciated. As an aside, the use of `at` on System V release 2 should only be allowed to those who are to be trusted as root. There is a backdoor method of becoming root using the `at` command. -- James R. Smithson Ascom Autelca AG CH-3073 Guemligen/Switzerland E-mail: jsmithso@aut.UUCP FAX: +41 31 527 745 Voice : +41 31 529 214 UUCP: ...!uunet!mcsun!chx400!hslrswi!aut!jsmithso